Railway signaling-system.



A. L. VENGILL. RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM. APPLICATION IILED JAN. 29, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wlTNESSES INVENTOR Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

A. L. VENOILL. *RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 29, 1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR M l/m BY 1 V 7 kIFTK A. L. VBNCILL. RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 29, 19124 Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT oFF1cE.

@Btmtfvmcm, or wrmcmsnune; rENNs'YtvANIA, ASSIGNOR To run UNION swrrcn a SIGNAL COMPANY, or swIssvALn, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PE NSYLVANIA.

.Railway Signaling Systems, of which the f lowing is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to automatic signaling systems, that is systems in which the railway signals are controlled automatically by the passage of a car or train, for portions of single track over which trafhe moves in both directions; such for exam ple as for stretches oi track between passing 'siding's', and irrespective of the location of the said stretches of track; Y -I will describe aform of automatic'signaling system embodying my invention, and

then pointout the novel featuresthereof in i 1 "(,fEhese two trackrelays may be energized Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1" claims.

" is a diagrammatic view showing one form of automatic signaling system embodying invention, showing the usual cond tion in of circuits and apparatus; with no car or train present. Figs; 2and'3 are views' simi- I lar to Fig. 1 but showing the condition of. system during a track, which signal relays controlled by circuits andapparatu's of the the passage of-a car-or train.

Similar reference characters refer to similar arts throughout the several views.

y'invention relates to that cl'ass of automatic signaling systems in which a stretch 5 of track is protectedat both ends b a sigals which govern tra c from nal or si opposite directions thn 'gh thestretch; the signal control being .so arranged that as a car or train .enters the stretch of track the signal at'the entering end is caused to indicate caution, that is, it'is caused to give an indication for'succeeding cars 'or trains to follow through the stretch; and the sig-' nal at the othenend is caused to indicate danger or stop; and the control being [so arranged that as the car or train proceeds through the stretch of track the said indications of the signals are maintained, lVith 'succeedin tection of'the indicationremains until all cars or trains the signals giving thenndica'tions stated, a succeeding car or train or any'number of cars on {trains may follow e stretch of-,track under the ro-- Specification '0! Letters Patent. Application filed IanuaryjS, 1912. Serial No. 674,026.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

have passed out of the stretch of track. Of course, all train movements in the opposing direction are prevented by reason of the stop or danger signal at the other endof the stretch of track. I prefer that the railway signals at the two ends of the stretch of track should usually give what is known asitheir clear or proceed indication, but I do not wish to be limited to this arrangement. 7

In the practice of my invention I provide at least two track relays for the stretch of track, one of which relays is opened when a train enters the stretch of track-to cause the signal at such entering end to indicate can tion, and to cause the signal at the other end of the stretch of track to indicate danger or stop, while the other of the track relays as the train proceeds further is opened to malntain the same condition of the signals;

om a single track circuit, in which case the source of signaling current will be located between them, or they may he energized from two or more track circuits. I'also provide two signal relays, one for the control'of the signal at one end of the stretch of track and the other for the control of the signal at the other end of the stretch of circuit for the second signal relay is then closed and that for the first opened, the first signal relay remains energized and the second remains unall'ected.

Another feature of the. form of my invent-ionhcrcin described is that it requires only standard apparatus, that. is, relays and signals of usual commercial types.

l-eferring now to the drawings, A dcsige' nates astretch of track, here shown as being a section of single track between two passing sidingsB and O. Traflic through the stretch A in opposite directions is governed by signals S and S'f'. As here shown lOO . are controlled by the track trolled by the track relays these signals are of the semaphore type, but it is understood that signals of any typelight, semaphore, etc., adapted to give the desired ind cations may be employed. As hereshown' the signals are each adapted to give three indications,-danger, caution and clear, alt-hou h I do not wish to to this-speci c number of indications. The stretch of track A as here. shown is provided with two track circuits a and I; each of which includes a source of signaling current 50 or 51 and a -track relay T or T. The two track circuits are separated in any suitable manner-as here shown by means of insulation 52 in the rails.

R andR are two signal relays for the control of the signals. These signal. relays may control through suitable circuits all of the indications of these signals, or they may control only one or more of the indications; as here shown, relay R controls the caution indication of signal S, andrelay R controls the caution indication of signal S. The clearindications of the signals are as here shown controlled directly by the track rclays T and T. The signal relays R and R relays T and T as I will now explain.

For each relay R and R I provide a cir cuit, each of which includes a back contact of theother relay. For example, the circuit of relay R is from source of current 10 through back contact 11 of track relay T, wire 12, back contact 13'of relay R, wire 14, relay R, wire 15, to source of current 10. The circuits T and T that as a car or train enters the stretch of track from either end, the circuit of one of the relays R or R is closed; when the car or train passes insulation point 52 the circuit for the other relayis closed, and after this second circuit is closed the first on is again opened as the car or train passes entirely oif of the first track'circuit.

The contacts of signal relay R control connections which are so arranged that when this relay is energiz'edit cuts signal relay R out of its circult and connects that circuit with signal relay R; thus when relay R is energized,

I the normal circuit for relay R traced herecircuit.

inbefore becomes as follows :from source of current 10 through contact 11, wire 12, contact 13, wires 17 and 18, relay R, wire 19 to source 10. The contacts of relay R control the circuit for relay R in a similar manner.

Since I have herein shown three-position Signals, each signal is provided with a clear indication circuit and a caution indication In the arrangement of control shown in the drawings, the clear indication circuit for each signal is controlled by front contacts of both track relays T and T, and the caution indication circuit of each signal be limited of these relays are so con'- also closes the circuit is' controlled by a front contact of the corre sponding signal relay R or R. For exam- Ie, the clear indication circuit for si a1 S is from source of current 20 throng -wire 21, armature contacts 22 and 23, wire 24, signal S, wire 25, to source 20. The caution indication circuit for the same signal is from source of current 20 through wires 21 and 26, contact 27, wire 28, signal S, wire 25, to source 20. Similarly the clear indication circuit for signal S is from source 20 through contacts 29 and 30, wire 53, signal S, wire 54 to source 20; and the caution indication circuit is from source 20 through wire 55, contact 31, wire 56, signal S, wlre 54 to source 20. It is of course understood that when both the caution and clear indication circuits of either signal are open the signal will indicate danger.

The operation of the system is as follows: Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that when no part of the stretch of track A is occupied'by a car or train both signals S and S will indicate clear for the reason that the clear indication circuits for both signals are closed by the contacts of track relays and T. Referring now to Fig. 2, acar or train 7 has just entered track circ 'it a. This car has opened contacts opened the clear indication circuits of both signals S and S. therefore changed to danger indication and will continue to give this indication as long Signal S has as the car W remains in any portion of the stretch of track A, because during such time one or the other of the track relays T or T will be open. The opening of track relay T i for signal relay R,

which latter relay closes the caution indication circuit of signal S as herei )efore explained. It will be seen that ii the front contact of relay R closes soon after the opening of track relay '1, the signal S will merely change from clear to cautionindication without, in the meantime, indi ating da nger; if however the closing 0 relay R is considerably retarded, signal S will first change to danger indication and will then immediately change to the caution indication. The apparatus and circuits 'will remain in th: condition shown in Fig. 2 as long as the car or train W occupies only tratk circuit a. When however the car bridges the rails of track circuit 6 thereby opening track relay T, the closing of back contact 16 of this relay will close another circuit including signal relay R as follows: from source of current 10, through contact 16, wire 32, contact 33, wires 34 and 14, relay R, wire 15, to source 10. It will be noted that this circuit. just traced is the circuit which would normally include relay R but which is now connected with relay R due to the fact that relay R is already energized. Signal relay R therefore remains denergized. After the entire car or train V has left the rails of track circuit. a, track relay T again closes, thereby opening the circuit which previously included relay R. Relay R continues however, to be energized by the circuit last traced. The condition of. the apparatus and circuits is now as shown in Fig. 3- It will be noted that the signal S behind the car still indicates caution and that the signal S ,at the other end of stretch A still indicates danger. When the car leaves the rails of track circuit 1), track relay T again closes thereby opening the circuit of relay R. The opening of this latter relay opens the caution indication circuit of signal S and closes the clear indication circuits of both signals S and S, and both signals then assume their clear indications. If while the car or train occupies anyportion of the stretch of track it, another car or train should approach the stretch A from siding B, it would find signal S indicating caution and could therefore pass through the stretch under proper control. Similarly any number of, following cars may pass through the section from siding B under caution. If however, while the car or train W occupies any portion of stretch A a second car or train should approach the stretch A from siding C, it would find signal S indicating danger, and would therefore not be permitted to enter the stretch A. If two cars should enter the stretch A atexactly the same instant, they would open both track relays T and T and both signals S and S would therefore change to danger indication. The armatures of relays R and R would. under these circumstances vibrate slightly on their back contacts, but would not be able to close their front contacts 27 or 31, hence neither signalicould give a caution indication.

Signals S and S are preferably located a short distance in advance of the beginning of the track circuits at the respective ends of stretch A, so that the driver of, a car or rain may observe thechange oi" indication of the signal as he enters stretch A. This will insure that. if two cars or trains should enter the stretch A at exactly the sime instant as just described, the drivers of both cars or trains would see the signals change to danger indication instead of to caution as is the case when only one car or train enters the stretch A.

The operation of the apparatus and circuits during the movement of a car or train through the stretch A from siding C to siding B would be similar. to that hereinbefore explained for movement in the op posite direction, hence it need not be traced herein.

It will be noted that in case of a broken rail at any point in the stretch A, one of the track relays Tor T will open thereby causing one signal to indicate caution and the other to indicate danger. It will also be noted that in case of a failure of either of the circuits for the relays R and R, the result will be danger indication by both signals S and S; 7

Although I have herein shown and described only oneforrn of signaling system embodying my invention, it will be undcrstood that various changes and modifications 5 may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing fronr the spirit and scope of my invention.'

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination, a stretch of railway track, signals adjacent the 'ends thereof for governing traffic in opposite directions through the stretch each signal being adapt ed to indicate danger, caution and clear, two track relays connected with the rails of the stretch ,and arranged to be deenergized successively by the passage of a car or train through the'stretch the relay which is first denergized remaining deenergized until after the second relay has en deenergized, means for energizin said track relays, a clear indication circuit for each si nal each of. which circuits is controlled y both track relays, a caution indication circuit for each signal, two signal relays each for control of one of said caution indication circuits, at normal circuit for each signal relay each circuit including a back contact of one of the track relays and contacts and conductors controlled by each signal relay and operating when the signal relay is energized by the denergization of the corresponding track relay to disconnect the other signal relay from the track relayback contact with which it is normally connected and to connect the last-mentioned back contact with the signal relay which is energized.

2. In combination, a.stretel. of railway 110 track, signals adjacent the ends thereof for governing traffic through the stretch in opposite directions, tyvo track relays connected with the rails of the stretch, one of which is deiinergized while a car or train occupies 115 'one portion of the stretch and the other of which is deiinergized while the caror train occupies the remainder of the stretch, the track relay first deenergized remaining deeuergized until after the other relay has been 120 de'c'nergized, means {or energizing said relays, two signal relays, a normal circuit for each signal relay each circuit including a back contact of one of the track relays, contacts and conductors controlled by each signal relay and operating when the si nal relay is energized by the deenergization of the corresponding track relay to disconnect-- the other signal relay from the trarl: rcla y baclt'contact with which it IS normally con.-

- nected and. to connect the last-mentioned In testimony whereof I afiix my signaback conitact with the signal reay which is ture in presence of two witnesses.

energize and a control circuit or eac signal inclmiing a front contact of the signal ALBERT VENCILL' 5 relayene 'giz ed by the entrance of a car or Witnesses:

train upon the stretch at the end adjacent I JOSEPHC. RATHGEB, such signal. v l MENO QUEALE. 

